Now let's look at what the loyalty chart has to say about having a +3 to starting loyalty:

<0The creature hates you, and aggressive species will certainly try to attack or hurt you. A pet with less than 0 loyalty will never listen to you, and may be controlled by the staff.

1The creature does not know you. It will not listen to your commands, generally ignores you. Aggressive species may attack you at random, and skittish ones may bolt for no reason.

2The creature barely knows you. It will not listen to your commands, and generally ignores you. It will only attack or run away if provoked or startled.

3The creature is getting used to you. It will often ignore you, but will not attack or run away unless provoked.

So, for a total of 12 skill points spent in one field, you receive a loyalty boost of +3 to all creatures covered by that specific bond. Loyalty requirements still require at least half of it must be met by normal leveling(Thank you for pointing that out, Riku), meaning it does not assist greatly in reaching those. It does not affect creatures you do not own, so it does not help against hostile or general wild creatures. And seeing as you need levels before you can train the pet anything, there is a good chance any pet you use will quickly reach the higher levels of loyalty without the aid of a +3.

It’s 120 posts to gain the ability for your own pets to not randomly attack you three levels sooner. Nearly useless if a player only has a handful of pets, or mainly purchases creatures that have a loyalty bonus like customs. And robotic bond does not even work on the majority of creatures it is attached to.

Now, this is entirely my opinion, but I feel these skills need a rework. Their cost alone for how little they do is fairly ridiculous.

Possible reworks:1. Remember Mechanical bond? ”You work with mechanical creatures very well!” How about making the skill something like, ”You work with mechanical creatures very well and know how to get the most out of them. All TP costs for trainable mechanical creatures are halved.” Make each version of this skill contain a single rank, worth fifteen to twenty character levels depending on how you want to balance it. The skills allow the character to train creatures in that category at half the tp cost, signified by a “/” next to the training when registered, or else just recorded at half the cost.*-The high cost will make it so that players will not mindlessly take all of the skills related to faster training.

-It is not necessary for most training and will not be quite worth it for the lesser tricks unless the halved amount was swapped to rounded down.

^-If they were rounded down, it would make 1tp moves cost nothing, and I think that would inspire folks to train the basics instead of relying on loyalty to save the tp. It might make the skill too good though, even with the 20 character level requirement.

-It also will become less useful over time as their creatures gain more levels. -It benefits ‘trainer’ characters who take the skill and train for credits. Players can send the critter to someone with this skill to train them, making it a solid investment for those who want to be trainers.*If this would be too confusing, how about the creature gains levels at double the rate instead, with loyalty unaffected? Still contains the same benefits as previously mentioned.

2. Swap it to a single rank as in the previous option but with a cost of 12, make it a flat +5 increase to all creatures of that type, regardless of whether the character with the skill owns them or not. This way the bond means that you know how to deal with creatures of that kind, and they instinctively trust you. It would make it easier to deal with any creature encountered, whether a loot pet or a poorly trained enemy guard dog. The skill would be a great deal more useful in this form and keep the loyalty element. The descriptions of all of them mention how much the creatures like you, so should that not just be the ones you own?

3. Keep it at a flat +1 per rank boost, but lower the level cost to one or two. The skill is not worth the price tag in its current state.

Honestly, I really like the first option, as it also provides a way for anyone with train-grind issues to spend time and skill points to lessen that obstacle. For those who do not care, they don't need to take it, and can always hire someone with the skill if they desperately want to benefit from it. The second option would make it be more useful than its current state, and the last option at least puts a more reasonable price on it.

Post by Riku on Feb 28, 2020 21:14:20 GMT -6

I personally have Natural Bond Lv.3, and it does affect loyalty requirements - but they must still be at least half met by posting. I don't think that affects your ideas, though.

I love both options you suggested, and I would actually suggest both options. Each rank one can be +1 loyalty to all of that type so that encountered creatures/etc can be dealt with as you described. It can go up to Rank 5, which will be the +5 loyalty. Then there can be a separate skill that requires Lv.5 (20 SP) of the original skill, which can cost another 20 SP and provide the half-TP.

I would suggest the half-TP-cost be how it works. That way it only applies to when that character is training. That way only active training is affected, and it can't be used to double-level a creature in the mines, etc. I feel like that will help balancing, as well as it costing a total of 40 SP.

And if that isn't approved, I agree that 1 or 2 SP per rank would be more appropriate at least. ;)

Post by Renathan on Mar 1, 2020 17:13:54 GMT -6

Accepted partially.

Bond skills will get taken down to 2 SP per skill rank. -nod- The whole team agrees that these were super useless at the price and that this change will be a balanced way to make them more useful or at least more attainable.

Shoutbox

Morgan: No one knows yet. But I did want to make it clear that the jar itself isn't used for lotine husbandry in any way. c:Jun 5, 2020 4:24:19 GMT -6*

Twilight-Claw: I'm only assuming that it does something similar like a Fungal Beast that infects a Leaf-scatter. (the one with moss and I think it was a pink flower growing on the head.)Jun 5, 2020 4:18:34 GMT -6

Morgan: The lolatic doesn't disappear after one use, and can be reused on the same lotine when it is allowed to 'infect' a lotine- to my knowledge.Jun 5, 2020 1:41:37 GMT -6

Morgan: The only effect/thing that the jar can be used for is to open up into a lolatic. The jar itself has no use in lotine breedings.Jun 5, 2020 1:39:52 GMT -6

Twilight-Claw: and the jar is then gone, if with the creature I am more guessing with this the creature doesn't disappear and it has unlimited use.Jun 5, 2020 0:17:55 GMT -6

Twilight-Claw: Something else I am wondering about with the Lotine breeding is whether one would use the jar the Lolatic comes from in the breeding, or actually the creature itself. I'm assuming with it if its the jar, then it gives people only one shot in a breeding, Jun 5, 2020 0:16:08 GMT -6

Twilight-Claw: Then using it in my rps is definitely just for the sake of rp's and not for anything additional. Jun 5, 2020 0:12:17 GMT -6

Renathan: There's no additional effect for adding a fish to a magical berry in a lotine breeding. Magical Berry is kinda it's own thing. Adding a fish for roleplay value shouldn't hurt, but it has no effect when used on a magical berry lotine breeding.Jun 4, 2020 22:27:14 GMT -6

Twilight-Claw: be just for the sake of rp, and perhaps seeing if it might lent a bigger chance to multiple offspring with unique pattern. X3Jun 4, 2020 15:31:01 GMT -6

Twilight-Claw: I think your right on it being unlimited use yeah, although.. *cough* I only found out a couple hours after I started writing that I had yet to buy the fish in question so used the one you could get for free as a replacement, it still was meant to mostly Jun 4, 2020 15:30:59 GMT -6

Riku: From what I loosely understand about the fish is that it isn't one-use, whereas the berry is. I feel like there wouldn't be any consequence of 'using' the fish...which I'd think just ooc wouldn't be counted for whatever rolls or whatever it is that it usesJun 3, 2020 14:14:30 GMT -6

Twilight-Claw: Thanks for that piece of info Ren! <3 | But would it be allowed for the flavor of the rp if the berry wasn't filling enough for the Lotine? Jun 1, 2020 6:09:21 GMT -6*

Renathan: There is no need to double up on a fish and a magical berry (doesn't change the effect of the berry at all) in a lotine breeding.Jun 1, 2020 6:02:21 GMT -6

Twilight-Claw: Does anyone know if it is possible to combine both a magical berry and a fish in a Lotine breeding? Or is you can only choose one of them? (right now writing a Lotine breeding) Jun 1, 2020 5:36:49 GMT -6

Twilight-Claw: I am still interested in trading it for a green drake. Jun 1, 2020 0:31:33 GMT -6